Strawberry Duel 2: Continued!
by Kokutenko
Summary: Login snafu!  Continued Strawberry Duel!  Meet Makoto and pick up where we left off!
1. Chapter 1

**Strawberry Duel!**

*I own neither Strawberry Panic nor Yu-Gi-Oh, in any of its forms. Otherwise the series would probably go almost exactly like this and we'd have more Dueling chicks.

Chapter Fifteen

Astraea Academy's main dining hall hummed with resonating tones of polite busytalk and refined utensil-handling. Nagisa's small hands fumbled slightly, unused to using a knife and fork. Her roast duck confit barely left her plate, constrained to merely being torn apart and messed about upon it. Nagisa blushed at the publicness of her errors. And in such a refined setting!

The Astraea class exchange social dinners provided a good excuse for students of every school to get to know each other. Everywhere Nagisa looked, Spica White Girls chatted politely away with Lulim Pink students and Miator Green somehow managed to put aside all pretense of rivalry to chat it up with Spica White. But proper table manners were always first and foremost. With all their teachers covertly watching them, no student dared try anything if they could help it.

Nagisa nudged Tamao sitting next to her slightly.

"Say, Tamao-chan…that girl over there. Isn't that the Spica White student body President?"

"Yes, it is. Spica White Third Year Tomori Shion-sama. People call her the Ice Queen not only because she's so cool, but also because of her chilling Ice Barrier deck."

"An Ice Barrier deck? Wow! I think I've heard of those cards, but I've never actually seen them. I wonder what it would be like to Duel her…"

Tamao chuckled, making sure to keep it so low that none of the teachers could pick up on it.

"You're gonna want to fight that impulse, Nagisa-chan. This social dinner is all about learning to get along with and befriend students from other schools. The last thing we would want is someone challenging someone else to a Duel."

"More bread, madam?"

All of a sudden, a beautiful young woman with red ribbons in her dark hair leant down next to Nagisa. She wore a crisp monochrome waiter's outfit and carried thin, crusty breadsticks in her little basket. Tamao bowed as low as she could in her seat.

"Oh, Chikaru-sama! We-we're okay here, no need to worry."

Chikaru smiled sweetly and carried on elsewhere, an almost imperceptible skip affecting her walk slightly. _Chikaru-oneesama seems a little too excited about this evening, _Tamao thought. _I just know she's up to something, but what?_

A sudden restlessness swept over the room, as though some unknown student had just activated Cold Wave. The main door opened and in walked a Spica White student that no one had seen before, led by one of the Sisters. The pure white of her uniform helped to make her light chestnut hair seem slightly darker, and her androgynous body made some think that she was a boy at first glance. The Sister seemed to blend into the background, the soft clapping of her hands the only sign she was there at all.

"Everyone, if I may have your attention please. I know it seems a mite bit unusual for a new student to enter Astraea Girls at this point in the year, but all the same, I'd like to introduce you to our newest Spica White student-"

"Thank you, Sister Mary Catherine, but I'll take it from here."

The girl held up a dismissive hand and Sister Mary Catherine fell silent.

"Good evening, everyone. My name is Kusanagi Makoto, and I will be entering Spica White's Fifth Year Class Trois sometime next week. It is a pleasure to meet you all."

She bowed low, drinking in the people's admiration of her gallantry and clear, energetic voice. A rose from a table's centerpiece found its way into Makoto's hands and she sniffed at it lustily.

"And now, without further ado, on to business!"

Suddenly, without warning, the rose flew from Makoto's fingers and zipped through the air like a dart. Miyuki barely had enough time to duck out of its way. When the rose-dart came to a stop, it lay in the center of a mini chocolate lava cake…right in front of Amane Ohtori. Makoto followed it, disregarding nearly everything in her path as she spoke.

"Are you Prince Amane? Yes, of course you are, my contact tipped me off. But that's not important now. What's important now is that I have come all the way from North Academy just to clean up the mess you've made of Spica White. Our Spica White, the school that once shone like a thousand stars. But now those stars have faded and the students have fallen into chaos. Unabashed favoritism here, and dozens of fangirls clamoring for this and that over there. But I shall fix it. And, to that end-"

Snap! As soon as she became close enough, Makoto whipped out her Duel Disk so that the blade stopped mere millimeters from the astonished Prince's face.

"I now hereby challenge you, Prince Amane!"

At Astraea Girls, opening one's Duel Disk in such a manner was a definite challenge, one that you couldn't back down from. Amane coolly removed the rose from her cake and stood up.

"Must I? I don't really like being called up in front of everyone, but if I have to, then I accept."

Both players drew their first five cards and spoke as one.

"Duel!"

(Amane-4000 Makoto-4000)

"The first move is mine!" Makoto crowed. "And, from my hand, I summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 4!"

A silver dragon with a sharpened hawk face appeared on Makoto's field and roared.

"And then I place one card face down and end my turn."

Amane drew next. "My move then! And I'll start by activating this: Cards of Consonance! Now, by sending Dragnity Pilum from my hand to the Graveyard, I get to draw two new cards. Next I summon Dragnity Legionnaire! And, with his special ability, I can summon back Dragnity Pilum and use him as an Equip Card."

"Good." Makoto snickered. "Now my Black Flame Dragon can take out two monsters for the price of one."

"You'd think so, but no. Not once I play my Dragon Mastery card. Now, not only do all my Dragnity-equipped Dragnity monsters gain 500 Attack Points, but now I can Equip them with extra Dragnity monsters once per turn. So now I attach Dragnity Brandistock onto Dragnity Legionnaire. And, thanks to his effect, my Dragnity Legionnaire can attack twice per turn. So now I'll aim my first attack straight at you!"

Makoto looked stunned as she lost her first Life Points of the Duel.

(Amane-4000 Makoto-3575)

But Amane was equally confused.

"What just happened? My Dragnity Pilum should have had that attack deal half of Dragnity Legionnaire's Attack Points to you as damage. That should have been 850."

Makoto gestured to her face-down Trap card, which she had activated just in time.

"You would think so, but thanks to my Damage Diet Trap, that half was halved again, dealing me only 425 points of damage. Not only that, but, until the end of the turn, all damage I take is halved! Ha ha!"

"Impressive card, but your little Trap can't stop me from using my second attack!"

(Amane-4000 Makoto-3525)

Makoto no longer had her monster out on the field. Students whispered here and there, incredulous of the newcomer's chances against their Prince. But Makoto was far from finished.

"You have some good cards there, O Prince. Perhaps you would have made a worthy Spica White champion after all. But, unfortunately, we will never find out. My move! And now, with one single card, I cripple your entire Deck! Go, Deadly Wind!"

A strange green tornado whipped all over the playing field, causing Amane to instinctively shield her eyes.

"What is this?"

"Your end, Prince. You see, as long as my Deadly Wind card remains on the field, neither one of us can Special Summon Wind Attribute monsters, and all those already on the field lose 500 Attack Points! And now I think I'll bring out my second Black Flame Dragon."

A second Black Flame Dragon, exactly like the first, appeared on the field. And this one wasn't going anywhere.

"Now attack!"

(Amane-3600 Makoto-3525)

"And now, since Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level Four just destroyed one of your monsters in battle, I can sacrifice it in order to summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level Six!"

Horus had grown stronger with new Levels, and his silver wings radiated strong bursts of fire.

"Your move, Prince Amane."

Now Amane was the one with no monsters to hide behind. Her Special Summons were cut off, meaning no Synchro Summons either. And anything she did manage to summon would have its ATK cut so much that it could never rival Makoto's Black Flame Dragon. She drew her next card hesitantly. Hmm…that move may be risky, but it just might be worth it.

"Fine then, I draw! You may have stopped the first effect of Dragon Mastery, but not the second. Now I summon Dragnity Dux from my hand and use the effect of Dragon Mastery to Equip it with Dragnity Achilles to end my turn."

The falcon-headed Dragnity Dux stood proudly on Amane's field, facing down Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 6 with no fear. Makoto drew her next card.

"My move! For all your effort, Prince Amane, that card is still just another domino for me to knock down. Show her what I mean, Level Six Black Flame Dragon!"

(Amane-3200 Makoto-3525)

Amane had taken some damage, but she still stood tall.

"Makoto, I don't know what your problem is with me, but I'm not going down without a fight. You were so focused on Dragnity Dux that you forgot all about Dragnity Achilles. You see, when Dragnity Achilles is sent to the Graveyard while its attached to a monster, I can select one card on your side of the field and destroy it. So now I'll destroy your Deadly Wind card and remove those limits!"

Spica White students applauded their Prince. Makoto managed to growl out a few last words. "I throw down a face down and end my turn." Amane drew her next card, while Makoto exuded some sort of ferocious dark aura.

"My move, then! I summon Dragnity Partisan from my hand in Attack Mode. Whenever he's summoned, I'm allowed to bring out another Winged Beast Type Dragnity monster to join him. So say hello to Dragnity Angus!"

A tall humanoid with a bird-like cape and cowl appeared on Amane's field, attacking Makoto's Life Points directly.

(Amane-3200 Makoto-1425)

Makoto's arm moved swiftly to raise her face-down card.

"You just did exactly what I wanted. Now, by activating my Damage Condenser Trap, I can send one card from my hand to the Graveyard to summon anything from my Deck I want, as longs as its Attack Points are less than or equal to the damage I just took. So now meet my Hyozanryu!"

Ever fickle, the audience cheered at Makoto's sparkling new diamondesque dragon.

"I end my turn."

"Then I draw! And, from my hand, I summon the Tuner monster Sinister Sprocket. And now I Tune the Level 1 Sinister Sprocket with the Level 7 Hyozanryu for a Synchro Summon. Come forth, Dark End Dragon!"

Everything about Makoto's new monster spelled Mean. Two sets of smiling sharp teeth glared at Amane from two different points on the monster's body. Several weaker students fainted in terror.

"Now, since I just performed a successful Synchro Summon, I can bring out Synchro Magnet directly from my hand. We've had some good fun, Prince Amane, but nothing and no one will stop me from saving Spica White. Least of all a phony Prince like you?"

"A phony Prince?"

"That's right. Your conduct has hardly been becoming of a true star of Spica as of late. A star belongs to the world, and that star's love should not be withheld by only one person. As the new star of Spica White, my love shall belong to all. Now it's time to end this. I activate Dark End Dragon's special ability: by removing 500 of its Attack Points, I can instantly destroy one monster on your side of the field. Go, Dark Evaporation!"

Amane could only watch as her two Dragnity monsters disintegrated before her. Nagisa whispered to Tamao.

"Hey, Tamao-chan, that girl can't really end the Duel right now, can she? I mean, her Dark End Dragon still has 2100 Attack Points left, and her Synchro Magnet has 1000. That totals only 3100, but Prince Amane still has 3200. Even if she attacked with everything, she'd still have 100 Life Points left."

Tamao lowered her water glass and pointed at the determined young emperor, for that was what she was fast becoming in some minds.

"Just watch, Nagisa-chan."

"And now, for my final card: the Spell Card Battle Tuned! Now all I have to do is remove the Sinister Sprocket I just used from play, and I can give all 400 of its Attack Points directly to my Synchro Magnet! You are the star of Spica White no longer! Attack now, my monsters, and finish her!"

(Amane-0 Makoto-1425)

As the smoke cleared, Makoto turned and threw herself into her new crowd of adoring fans.

"Thank you, my dears! As always, I dedicate this victory to my one true beloved-the lost star of Spica White! The one whose seat remains empty to this day! I solemnly vow that I shall return this school to her ideals, that we may never again waste our energy on petty things like flash-in-the-pan romance."

Spellbound by Makoto's Duel, Nagisa almost didn't notice when something landed on her head. It was a solid sapphire blue card protector sleeve, its backside metallic blue as if made from the gem itself. Looking around, she could see hundreds of them, falling from the ceiling like some magnificent rain.

"Everyone! As a symbol of our meeting, I grant you all at least one sapphire card protector apiece. All are welcome-I love you all!"

And, needless to say, what had started as a peaceful and refined dinner function then proceeded to erupt into chaos.

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

**Strawberry Duel!**

*I own neither Strawberry Panic nor Yu-Gi-Oh, in any of its forms. Otherwise the series would probably go almost exactly like this and we'd have more Dueling chicks.

Chapter Sixteen

"There are more students here today than usual."

Ohtori Amane had refused to join any club activities that her fans could follow her at, so the walk to her classes every morning was usually the only time they could see her. She clutched a hand over her forehead and rubbed her temples.

_Everything was going so well at yesterday's dinner…until that girl showed up. I don't know what it is, but I could swear that she has something against me. She just shows up out of nowhere, beats me in a Duel and then starts preaching those weird ideas about love. Kusanagi Makoto…who _are_ you?_

Apparently, the correct answer was "Spica White's new idol." Even as Amane passed through the crowd blocking the gate, surprisingly few of her fans even gave her a second glance. It felt like an out-of-body experience, watching someone else go through what was almost her exact daily routine. The only difference was that Makoto warmly greeted all who cheered for her. The throng of schoolgirls raised their voices with glee as she passed by.

"Kyaah! Makoto-sama!"

"The new star of Spica White!"

"We love you!"

Every step the elegant young emperor took seemed both graceful and perfectly placed. Her mind completely bewildered, Amane passively allowed herself to be pushed to school by the crowd like a salmon going upstream.

Rumors of Makoto's newfound popularity soon covered Astraea Girls.

"Hey, have you heard about the Emperor? Kusanagi Makoto?"

"You mean that transfer student who defeated Spica White's Prince Amane?"

"Yeah, her! They're saying that she's going to enter the Etoile Tournament, come the next round, that is."

"What? But that's impossible. Round One is already over, and we've already declared a winner in Prince Amane."

"Trust me: if anyone can find a way to enter the Tournament at this point, it'll be the Emperor. Almost makes me wish that we Lulim Pink students had a viable Etoile candidate."

"Yeah…"

News was even beginning to reach the ears of Miyuki Rokujo. Not only was this girl a great Duelist, but she was also attractive and full of energy. Her androgynous face certainly didn't hurt her chances at Spica White, where only the most forceful of women could be found. If Makoto had any weakness at all, it was her love of showboating. Some might even have considered her little "card protector stunt" to be almost a sort of bribe, to get people to follow her. A truly troublesome person had just appeared, that much was sure.

Miyuki lowered the dusty box of documents from the library shelf. Tsukidate Chiyo stood by, eagerly awaiting her chance to search and help aid her Onee-sama. Miyuki read the letters of her desired book with reverence in her voice.

"A Brief History of the Etoile Tournament…"

Elsewhere, Spica White President Tomori Shion sat drinking a strong and bitter tea. A tea that matched her present mood perfectly. Her mind raced with thoughts of Makoto. She wondered what could make such a promising young Duelist up and leave North Acadmey like that, just to come here to Astraea. More importantly, how did she know what was going on with the Etoile Tournament?

She had mentioned something about a contact right before the Duel started. But Shion was sure that she'd been the only one to recall that. Everyone else had been immediately swept up in the excitement of the ensuing Duel. But such infighting was not to be permitted, particularly at such an important time for Spica White.

Shion knew she had to get rid of this problem, but how?

Out in the garden, Minamoto Chikaru had called Rokujo Miyuki out for a meeting. The former offered the latter a can of sweet red bean drink, but Miyuko decided to cut straight to the point.

"Are you the one who called her back?"

Chikaru giggled like a schoolgirl.

"It's awfully hard to fool you, isn't it, Miyuki-chan? That's right, I'm the one that did it. I even sent a special white messenger dove all the way to North Academy."

Miyuki's mouth gaped open in shock, both at the revelation and at Chikaru's behavior.

"B-but why? Didn't you know that something like this would happen?"

Chikaru lowered her head and looked down. Her tone was apologetic.

"I actually…called you here to apologize. I had no idea that Makoto-chan would blow everything out of proportion the way she did. All I ever really did when I wrote to her was to tell her about the goings-on here. So, when I told her about the Tournament…"

Miyuki took a sip of her drink, trying desperately not to grimace at its cloying sweetness. She cocked her head to one side.

"Is that really the reason?"

Chikaru gestured over towards her three sleeping Lulim girls. Kizuna, Remon and Kagome all lay sleeping beneath shady trees in the warm sun.

"Just look at them. Those three are still too young to seriously enter a tournament like this. Like it or not, this battle will basically be between Spica White and Miator Green. We of Lulim Pink will just have to suck it up for now and find ourselves good places on the sidelines. But, maybe someday, the day will come when we can lock horns with the best of them, no matter whose school they come from.

"I would love to see that during my time here, but I know that, in all likelihood, that may not happen. We are no threat to you now, Miyuki Rokujo. Please believe that."

Nagisa leant over the rooftop guardrail. Her mind whirled with vertigo at the thought of the high drop. In her hand, she clutched the hastily-written note that she had found in her shoe locker.

"_Meet me on the roof after classes today."_

The obvious culprit here was Shizuma, but Nagisa knew better than just to blunder into a trap. That whole business with the library letter had made her once bitten, twice shy. She'd almost decided against not going to the rooftop. But something had told her that this message was true.

All of a sudden, a thin but strong pair of arms wrapped around her from behind. A mature woman's voice giggled in her ear.

"Guess who, Nagisa-chan?"

Nagisa could not decide whether she was happier to see Shizuma or to learn that the letter wasn't a trick. The two girls turned until they faced each other and Nagisa buried her face in Shizuma's breasts. All worries seemed to melt away.

"Nagisa…Did you really miss me? I missed you."

Nagisa could feel it in her bones that a kiss was coming. So she was quite surprised when Shizuma decided to nibble her ear instead. A cold breeze whipped the moistened area to an almost stinging cold. The older girl slowly and reluctantly let go. She walked a few paces away from Nagisa and spoke again, not turning to meet her gaze.

"Not seeing you for two weeks…that's going to be really difficult for both of us. But let's try to put all of our energy into fending off the Rare Hunters. That way we'll both be too busy to think about loneliness."

Shizuma spun around with a smile on her face. But Nagisa could tell that her onee-sama was merely putting on a brave face for her sake.

"Oh! Something else we could focus on is the Amane-Hikari pair. It'll be interesting to see how those two handle this round. Amane is just going to lose it, I know it!"

Whether it was her place or not, Nagisa couldn't help but reprimand her onee-sama a little bit.

"Shi-Shizuma-oneesama! How can you say that? Hikari-chan is already having enough trouble, like back at the Turbo Duel! She was almost the one who fell off the tower, you know! I mean, granted, things are okay for now, but still-"

Shizuma embraced the other girl from behind to silence her. Nagisa's head now rested in the reverse of its former position, Shizuma's breasts now cradling the back of her head.

"Oh, you're too nice. But I guess that's one of the things I like about you. But just worry about yourself for now. If I catch word that some Rare Hunter has defeated Tamao and is only a few steps away from defeating you, I will not hesitate. I swear that I will run to your side, tournament or no tournament. So please be careful, unless you want to let down all our Miator Green friends."

"O-onee-sama…you'd really do that?"

"Of course I would. Tournament or no tournament, my only wish is to be with you."

Peck.

A small spot of warm moistness appeared on Nagisa's neck. The younger girl rolled her eyes inwardly.

_Onee-sama…you're hopeless…_

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

**Strawberry Duel!**

*I own neither Strawberry Panic nor Yu-Gi-Oh, in any of its forms. Otherwise the series would probably go almost exactly like this and we'd have more Dueling chicks.

Chapter Seventeen

"White Lightning Attack!"

In Spica White's largest hall, another grueling day of Duel training was coming to an end. Thus far today, Hikari had lost three times in a row to Kaname Kenjo's Ritual Deck. Her Fairy Archer stood no chance against Blue Eyes this time around. Kaname berated her where she lay defeated on the floor.

"Grr! Once again you continue to rely on the same basic strategies. You won't keep drawing Fairy Archer or your Sky Scourges when you really need them forever, you know! Your style is just too rigid!"

Because she had been asked by the Student Council, Kaname had reluctantly agreed to coach Hikari in the finer points of Dueling and strategy. She had at first rejected the offer, but some sadistic and vengeful spirit inside of her thought it a perfect opportunity to make Hikari pay for beating her in their last match. But, to her surprise, the girl took everything Kaname had to offer and continued to ask for more.

_She really is devoted to Amane-sama, isn't she?_

Even now, Hikari struggled to her feet, winded after taking Kaname's last attack. Her Dueling arm bent once again, ready for another match.

"S-sorry…I'll try again. Just give me one more…round…"

But every human body has its limits. After the ferocious beatings that Kaname had given her, Hikari's small and light form had finally run out of gas. She collapsed and fell forward, the hard metal of her Duel Disk slamming into her chest with the impact. Kaname ran to her and froze.

She was holding her hand out as though she wanted to…caress Hikari.

The thought filled her with cold sweat.

Elsewhere, Amane worried about her partner, feeling that something was up despite being unaware of Kaname's Spartan training.

It had been four days since she'd last seen Hikari. The former Prince stared intently at the wood grain of her desk. Anything to get her mind off her. She found herself sitting around a lot lately where she used to wander Astraea all the time. The excuse she always used was that she did it to avoid her fan club. Only now did she realize that she actually did it to find Hikari.

If she had known that it would feel like this, she would have said much better things the last time they'd seen each other.

"I'm really getting scared now, Amane-sama."

Hikari had admitted this to her out on the patio. It was a smallish structure hanging off the edge of the main Spica White building. Amane never really liked such public places, but she'd chosen this place all the same for their midnight rendezvous. Starting the day afterwards, the two would be split apart for a full two weeks, after all.

"It may be selfish of me to say this," she continued, "but there are a lot of people at this school that don't like me. And if anything were to happen like it did back in the Turbo Duel…I wouldn't know how to handle it alone. Y-you might even wind up meeting a better partner while I'm away and-"

Amane chuckled. "You're so cute, Hikari."

The former Prince took Hikari's hand in hers and squeezed it resolutely. Hikari felt her heart skip a beat.

"I'll miss you, too, but two weeks will be over before we know it. You know I really…love you, Hikari."

Amane let the word "love" drop from her lips with some deliberation. The very utterance of that word seemed to give Hikari strength and she dried her tears. Perhaps it was just a relief to hear the feelings they shared for each other finally given a name.

"Well, maybe love's not the right word, but then again…I've never really felt this way before. I mean, I have my friends and my rivals here at school, but I've never once really thought that one girl could truly love another. I always thought that it was just something the students did here to pass the time. But that's probably the only thing that this could be. It doesn't feel exactly like friendship, or the desire to protect one of my underclassmen. So it must be love. Too bad we aren't man and woman, eh?"

Amane repeated her last line over and over in her head, feeling a twinge of regret with each repetition.

"Amane-sama…just being here with you like this…is all I really need."

Amane slid her hand from her partner's and embraced her, as though she were the most delicate object in the world. All that existed now were their shared feelings. Seconds passed like eons, neither side wishing to let go.

Hikari turned. Her feet raised off the ground. Amane could feel Hikari's lips on her cheek. It only lasted five seconds, but both girls felt it palpably. Both were blushing when they finally released each other.

"C-come on," Amane stuttered. "I'll take you back up to your room."

As they parted, Amane made one final statement that summed up her feelings in no uncertain terms.

"Tournament or no tournament, if this Kusanagi Makoto really wants to take my place as a Star of Spica White…I'm more than willing to give it up."

Makoto sat as comfortably as the Shah of Persia, surrounded by a harem of adoring fan-girls. Other students splashed in the just opened school pool in the background. It had been a week now since the Rare Hunter event had begun.

"Kyaah! Makoto-sama! I'm so looking forward to watching you Duel in the Tournament. I hear that you've already defeated two couples already, and those two tried taking you on Tag Team-style!"

Makoto chuckled inwardly. In point of fact, those two couples had actually been taken out by their own overwhelming feelings. They had just been too weak to handle being apart from each other for so long.

But Makoto didn't need to tell them that. What was one little white lie between schoolmates?

"But of course. Those couples were an obstacle to my mission, releasing Spica White from its own delusions of female love. A true star should be adored by all, not held in place by some silly girl-crush. After all, one can neither lock up the stars in the sky, can they? But my battle still continues, and nothing will stand in my way…least of all the fake star, the so-called Prince Amane!"

But it just so happened that "Prince Amane" was just coming out of the locker rooms when Makoto made her final statement. She'd only wanted to come by for a swim and work out her confused emotions with a little physical exertion. The two locked eyes for a fraction of a second from across the room.

Amane herself had no real problem with Makoto Kusanagi. She even agreed with her on some points, such as that nothing could ever really come from two girls loving each other. Given the opportunity, she would have even gladly given up her spots as both Prince and Etoile Tournament entrant to her. But Makoto's desire to "stop" her had left her completely blinded to the reasonable approach.

The smaller girl leapt up on the lounge table and pointed a finger at her.

"Ah, speak of the Devil! What a funny coincidence seeing you here, Prince Amane. Ha ha!"

A waiting fan on the sidelines handed Makoto her Duel Disk and she whipped it in front of her with great speed.

"Now we can Duel again!"

Within minutes, the pool had completely emptied out, setting the stage for a Makoto-Amane rematch. Both stood afloat on separate body boards, held up on the backs of two willing volunteers. Makoto went over the special rules she'd designed for this challenge.

"Now again: we'll both start out with 4000 Life Points, same as always. But we'll have to be careful about how much damage we take at once. Too strong a blast will send a player splashing into the pool, and the same fate awaits the loser. So, are we clear?"

Amane's heart really wasn't into it, but an opponent like Makoto would never let her back down. She nodded as she unfurled her own Duel Disk and assumed the position.

"Let's Duel!"

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4

**Strawberry Duel…Continued!**

*I own neither Strawberry Panic nor Yu-Gi-Oh, in any of its forms. Otherwise the series would probably go almost exactly like this and we'd have more Dueling chicks.

Chapter Eighteen

"I'll start us off! From my hand, I summon Masked Dragon in Attack Mode!"

The skinny white dragon roared as it appeared on Makoto's field. Amane was next to draw, even though she didn't see the point.

"It's my move, then. I'll bring out Dragnity Militum from my hand in Attack Mode. Now attack!"

The masked sword-wielder sliced Masked Dragon in half, but Makoto remained smiling.

(Amane: 4000 Makoto: 3700)

"My thanks, Prince Amane, for you just did exactly what I wanted you to! You see, when Masked Dragon does to the Graveyard, I can summon any Dragon Type monster from my Deck, as long as it has 1500 Attack Points or less. So I call forth Red Eyes Black Chick, in Attack Mode!"

A small black egg hatched a small black dragon. Amane was puzzled.

"But why would you sacrifice a stronger monster for a weaker monster? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

Makoto laughed contemptuously.

"That's exactly the kind of thinking I'd expect from a phony prince like you. Remember, every card in the game is useful. You just have to figure out how! I draw! And now I release Red Eyes Black Chick in order to Advance Summon Red Eyes Black Dragon!"

An enormous dragon with (what else?) black scales and glowing red eyes now appeared.

"Now attack Dragnity Militum with your Inferno Fire Blast!"

(Amane: 3300 Makoto: 3700)

Amane was throw backwards, one-legged by the force. She nearly tipped and fell off her bodyboard, but the Prince managed to right herself.

"H-How did you do that? Summon Red Eyes with only one monster?"

The volunteer holding up Amane's bodyboard fielded the question.

"That's Red Eyes Black Chick's special ability. Whenever Makoto-sama has it on her side of the field, she can release it to summon Red Eyes Black Dragon directly from her hand."

Makoto reprimanded the girl sharply.

"Hey! You there! No helping!"

Shamefaced, the girl returned to her previous state, her mouth under the water, forcing herself to breathe through her nose and dog paddle. Amane drew her next card, wanting nothing more for the Duel to be over quickly. She didn't need any more reminders of how much she missed Hikari.

"My move, then. First of all, I use Monster Reborn to summon back Dragnity Militum. And now I'll Equip it with Dragnity Phalanx from my hand. With this card's special ability, I can unequip it and summon it to my field right away. And now it's Synchro time! I Tune Level 2 Dragnity Phalanx with Level 4 Dragnity Militum in order to Synchro Summon Vajrayana-the Dragnity Knight!"

A small humanoid knight appeared. It rode upon a dragon very similar to Red Eyes, but metallic red. The two dragons roared at each other as they faced each other down. Makoto was startled, but unimpressed.

"Heh! All that work and you still can't summon a decent monster. Your Dragnity Knight is still about 500 points too weak to take on my Red Eyes."

"That would be true, if not for its special ability. With Dragnity Knight's special ability, I can bring back Dragnity Phalanx from my Graveyard as an Equip Spell. Next up, I can remove it and send it back to the Graveyard to double my Dragnity Knight's Attack power until the end of this turn."

"Wh-What?"

"Show her what I mean, Dragnity Knight! Take out her Red Eyes with Polearm Dash!"

Dragon claws and human spear tore through Red Eyes at two points, causing massive damage to Makoto.

(Amane: 3300 Makoto: 2300)

Makoto seethed inwardly, but managed to maintain her calm. Her little feet never left her bodyboard.

"That's quite the vicious card. But I can't lose here and let all of Spica White, not to mention my fans, down! I draw! And, from my hand, I summon Red Eyes Wyvern!"

Amane was becoming more and more confused. First Makoto managed to bring out her Red Eyes with only one sacrifice, and now she was summoning an obviously weaker monster in Attack Mode, knowing full well that Amane's Dragnity Knight could destroy it at will. Should she take the bait?

"I think I'll end my turn with a face down. That's all for now. Your move, Prince Amane!"

Amane's eyes narrowed as she scanned the cards in her hand. No doubt Makoto's face down was a Trap of some sort, meant to either punish Amane or needlessly prolong the Duel. If she wanted it to be over, she had to strike hard and fast.

"I summon Dragnity Pilum. Once he's on the field, I can Equip him to my Dragnity Knight-"

"And then you'll release him to double your Knight's power, won't you?" Makoto interrupted.

"Actually, no! You see, Dragnity Pilum's special ability allows the monster equipped with him to attack you directly. The only problem is, the damage you take gets cut in half."

(Amane: 3300 Makoto: 1350)

Makoto sighed. "Poor Prince Amane. Rather than take the easy way out, you struck me for much less damage and left me more able to end the Duel. You're not very good at this, are you? It's my turn. And now I activate my face down card: Destruct Potion lets me sacrifice my Red Eyes Wyvern in order to regain Life Points equal to its Attack Points."

(Amane: 3300 Makoto: 3150)

"Next I'll activate my One Day of Peace Spell Card. With this card, we both get to draw one new card, but we aren't allowed to wage any attacks this turn. And, with my turn over, I can activate the effect of Red Eyes Wyvern in my Graveyard. Since I went through this turn without summoning anything, I can now call forth any Red Eyes monster I wish from my Deck. So let me introduce you to my second Red Eyes Black Dragon!"

Another Red Eyes, exactly identical to the first, rose up and roared. Amane was beginning to get impressed with her opponent. Whatever she was planning with Red Eyes, her Spell had made it so that Amane couldn't do anything about it. All she could do with her next turn was to equip Dragnity Knight Vajranaya with her Dragnity Achilles. Now, if Makoto tried to destroy it, Dragnity Achilles would have its effect activate and take the opposing monster down too.

"And now the stage is set. I release my Red Eyes Black Dragon in order to summon Red Eyes Darkness Dragon!"

It was like Red Eyes, but thinner and more evil-looking. It twisted its body around and around in the air, performing menacing loop-the-loops, circling like a shark waiting to strike.

"And this monster has a very special ability. For every Dragon I have in my Graveyard, my Red Eyes Darkness Dragon gets an extra 300 Attack Points. I have five, for a grand total of 3900! Now attack Dragnity Knight Vajrayana!"

(Amane: 1300 Makoto: 3150)

"Not so fast! Since I had my Dragnity Achilles equipped to Dragnity Knight, when it's destroyed, I can take one of your cards out as well. So say goodbye to your Red Eyes Darkness Dragon!"

"You fool! Do you really think I'd fall for that same trick twice? I play the Quick-Play Spell My Body as a Shield! Now, at the cost of 1500 of my Life Points, I can negate Dragnity Achilles' effect and destroy it!"

(Amane: 1300 Makoto: 1650)

"After all, thanks to that Destruct Potion card I just used, I now have more than enough Life Points to throw away."

Amane's mind was reeling. My best combo and she totally destroyed it…Destroyed… A light bulb suddenly went off in her head.

"That was a bad idea. Since you just destroyed one of my cards using a card effect, I can destroy it myself in order to bring out…my Dragonic Knight!"

Just in time, she remembered the card she'd been given so long ago by one of her fans. The armored dragon banged its sword and shield together defiantly before Red Eyes Darkness Dragon.

"Ha! That card is still too weak to stop me. Just give up, Prince Amane! The Spica White crown is mine!"

Amane's nerves were starting to fray. All she wanted was for this to be over. Everyone was staring at her. Her Hikari was absent, and Makoto's crazy grudge was no help. She drew her next card with a grim determination. She would have to make this the last round.

"It's over. I'll start off by activating my Banner of Courage Spell Card. This gives my monsters an extra 200 Attack Points whenever they declare an attack. Next I summon Dragnity Partisan. His special ability lets me also summon Dragnity Dux to the field to join him. Now, Level 2 Dragnity Partisan, Tune together with Level 4 Dragnity Dux to Synchro Summon Gae Bulg-The Dragnity Knight!"

Again, Amane's dragon mirrored that of Makoto, but its shell was made of shining silver. A humanoid with a sword strode atop it.

"Only 2000 Attack Points? What's Amane thinking?"

"And now I'll attack Red Eyes Darkness Dragon!"

"What?"

"When Dragnity Knight Gae Bulg attacks, I can remove a Winged Beast Type Dragnity monster from play to give him all its Attack Points. So, with Dragnity Militum removed from play and Banner of Courage adding another 200 points, that gives me just enough to take both of our monsters out!"

The crowd was stunned. Makoto's mouth fell open in shock as the two mighty dragons met and disintegrated.

"And now Dragonic Knight is going to bring it home! Direct attack!"

(Amane: 1300 Makoto: 0)

Makoto fell spluttering into the pool. Amane's face and body were stone stiff as the girl beneath her paddled to shore.

"Wait!"

Makoto leapt up and sped towards Amane with her hands outstretched. But Amane just pushed her away. Their eyes met and Makoto found herself completely cowed.

"Enough! I already gave you your Duel, now away with you!"

The Prince turned and headed back to the locker room. She would get no swimming done today.

"I have a difficult challenge ahead of me…but it's not Dueling you."

Makoto remained afloat in the pool for what seemed like forever, completely oblivious to everything else.

Those eyes…they looked just the way my onee-sama's used to. That Duel…did that Duel really awaken the dragon that is Prince Amane? No, the sleeping lion? And she's right. From her point of view, she has no real reason to keep Dueling me. But I do. Prince Amane! If you are indeed Super War Lion, then I must become Red Eyes! I will burn through you and your precious Dragnity Deck until there is nothing left, and I alone stand as the true Star of Spica!

All for her…

To be continued…

*PS: I apologize for being unable to fit in Chikaru's Duel like some wanted. But, rest assured: it IS coming and she WILL be using a Dark Attribute Deck!


	5. Chapter 5

**Strawberry Duel2: Continued!**

*I own neither Strawberry Panic nor Yu-Gi-Oh, in any of its forms. Otherwise the series would probably go almost exactly like this and we'd have more Dueling chicks.

Chapter Nineteen

"Hurry, Nagisa-chan, or we'll be late!"

Nagisa struggled to catch up with Tamao, her stomach weighted down by her delicious dessert.

"I'm sorry, Tamao-chan! It's just that the cafeteria's fruit au gratin was so good. I just had to have seconds!"

Tamao stood still and patiently waited for her slow friend before speaking again.

"Are you really sure you want to do this, Nagisa-chan? Go to Makoto-sama's violin concert? Last I heard, two more Teams had been eliminated by the Rare Hunter, so I thought we'd agreed that this whole thing was just another trap set by Makoto-sama."

Nagisa's brow furrowed at the thought of the two fallen couples. Practically everyone knew that Kusanagi Makoto was the Tournament's Rare Hunter, even though no one had actually come out and officially stated that fact.

"But I wonder if Shizuma-sama's going too…"

So that was the reason. It had been over a week since Nagisa had seen her beloved Onee-sama, and Tamao had been doing exceedingly well so far in warding off potential attackers. They were safe, but the color and life seemed to fade more and more from Nagisa's cheeks with each passing day. Tamao was about to call her on it, but the tears in the younger girl's eyes made her stop.

She decided the quickest way to cheer her up was through Dueling.

"Just hang in there, Nagisa-chan! We only have four more days to go until you see Shizuma-sama again in the Tag Team Duels! Now why don't we head on back to the room and talk some strategy?"

Nagisa sniffled, blushing. "I…I'd like that…"

The Astraea Hill chapel was not usually used for events, but today was a special exception. Kusanagi Makoto was performing a violin concerto that she has spent months on while training at North Academy. All indoor lights were dimmed, keeping her in a strange yet natural half-light. The whole thing seemed very mystical. But it became even more so when she actually began to play.

Tearing herself away from the musical world that the tiny Emperor was creating, Yaya Nanto turned to Hikari, who was sitting not incredibly far away. This little concert would surely win Makoto more fans. The very thought of it, coupled with the idea of Hikari going through Kaname's tortuous training sessions depressed her.

_I have to keep doing this…for Amane-sama._

Hikari was always saying that. Although she usually started crying not long afterwards. Yaya almost didn't want to admit to herself that Hikari had changed. It wasn't much, but she had indeed become stronger since meeting Amane-sama.

Her eyes flickered away from Hikari for a brief second and, when she looked up, Hikari was gone.

There was a room not far from the recital hall where no one was sure to go during a concert. It had no windows and two entrances. There were plenty of shadows for someone to hide in, should worse come to worse. It was there that Hikari had left for. During the performance, a stray hand had placed itself on her back.

"Hikari, come with me. We're gonna have to make this fast. Meet me in the little room not far from here in ten minutes."

Of course Hikari had recognized the voice. It was the same one she'd been longing to hear for over a week. She almost hadn't come to the concert for fear of running into those students who still neither trusted nor believed in her. But there was still the chance that exactly this would happen to her, and so she took it.

It was dark in the small room. Amane and Hikari could barely see each other in the ner-irrelevant light from the doorway. But still, each tried desperately to burn the image of the other into their minds. Hikari wanted desperately to reach out, to see if it truly was her Prince Amane-sama.

"We can't! I'm so sorry, Hikari-chan. I just had to see you again. But already we have to say goodbye again."

The tears sprang unbidden to Hikari's eyes as Amane continued from the shadows.

"We only have four more days left. If we're strong, we can make it. Please…don't give up."

The prince disappeared completely into the shadows and slipped out the side door, just as Yaya came running up.

"Hikari, where were you? You know shouldn't be running off like that, especially with all these Rare Hunters about. What were you doing in here anywa-"

She raised a hand to her mouth, which had fallen open in shock.

"Hikari…please tell me you weren't…"

Hikari smiled through her tears and came up with the quickest lies she could.

"I wasn't doing anything, Yaya-chan. Makoto-sama's performance was just so beautiful that I had to run outside and cry. I was just…on my way back from the bathroom when I thought I heard someone in here. I'd just opened the door and was looking around when you found me. I promise!"

Yaya sighed, seeming to believe her friend's improbable story.

"Well, you obviously didn't do that great a job washing your face. I can still totally see the tear tracks and whatnot. You really are a child, aren't you, Hikari?"

There was a little more back and forth between them as they returned to the theater, but Kusanagi Makoto heard none of it. She, for one, was not believing Hikari's story. Not one little bit.

The full moon cast its silvery dwoemer over Astraea Hill, as well as over the small running figure in the nightgown. Amane-sama had left Hikari another secret message, this time written on the back of a Dragunity Phalanx card that she'd just happened to drop in Hikari's path after the recital. It said to meet her in the old chapel at midnight.

The chapel's bell was said to be cursed by the students of the Duel Academy. Whoever was foolish enough to hear its clamor whilst outside after curfew was said to meet with misfortune. Which was no doubt why Amane had chosen there as their meeting place. She may not have cared much for the Etoile Tournament, but Amane also would not want to soil their names or the name of Spica White by their being caught breaking the rules.

Hikari was scared of the chapel bell's ominous curse, but she was willing to do anything to see her beloved Amane-sama once again. That's why, even as she ran in a heightened state of fear and sensitivity, she did not notice the small figure that was following her.

Several small candles illuminated the inside of the church. Only one was needed to show where the holy water was, though. No doubt Amane had set up all the other ones. Hikari giggled. How romantic. But, when she ran into Amane, she looked anything but. The taller girl was staring at the back of a Duel card with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Hikari!", she shouted as quietly as she could. "What is the meaning of this?"

She displayed the card she held in her hand and Hikari's stomach twisted. It was a Nova Summoner card, just the kind of monster she would have in her Deck, and on the back was written a message.

"B-But I didn't…I-I thought that…"

It hit them both at the same time: They had been tricked.

"Crap!" Amane swore as she pulled Hikari out of the chapel's main hall. Neither girl said anything more until they were safely lost in the moonlit woods. It stood to reason that, if they were lost, anyone pursuing them probably would be as well.

Amane embraced Hikari at that moment.

"Hikari…that was a close one, but I'm kinda glad that it happened now. Because I got to see you."

There were no words for some time after that. Eventually, Amane let the smaller girl go.

"I didn't want to break the rules, but this being apart was getting to be too much for me. It was heartbreaking for me to imagine how hard it was for you."

"Amane-sama…I did everything I could. But you were still all I could think about, even while I was training with Kaname-sama."

"I'd heard about that. I was worried that Kaname might be torturing you. But I'm so…so glad you're okay."

Is something wrong with Amane-sama?

Then Hikari's lips were sealed with a warm and moist sensation. There, under the moonlight, Amane and Hikari shared their first kiss. It was magical, forever proclaiming them as something more than friends. They were now partners, in the Tournament and, perhaps, beyond. The two girls sank to their knees, each praying that the moment would never end.

"A-ha! Here they are!"

Several flashlight beams converged on the kissing couple. There, scarcely illuminated in circles of bright light like sinister aliens or Men in Black, stood Kusanagi Makoto, along with several sisters and the heads of each House.

"I commend you both on seeing through my trick, but by escaping the trap together, you have sealed your own doom! Heh heh. I had a feeling my hunch was correct. I'm betting you even met up during my concert, too!"

Amane's blood ran cold as she shielded Hikari.

"Y-you saw that?"

"Well, some of it. Now…any last words?"

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6

Strawberry Duel 2: Continued

Chapter 6

(Author's Note: I do not own any of the concepts contained herewithin. Strawberry Panic and Yugioh GX, unfortunately, do not belong to me. Otherwise the series would go exactly like this and we'd have way more Dueling chicks.)

An emergency meeting was called in the Spica White Student Council Room. Due to the nature of the previous night's events, only those whose input was necessary were allowed inside. Ice Queen Tomori Shion listed all the facts in a businesslike manner.

"Ahem. Last night, it was confirmed that Etoile Tournament candidates Konohana Hikari and Ohtori Amane were caught breaking the rules of the Rare Hunter challenge by meeting each other before their time period was up. The sisters currently have the two of them locked up in the repentance room. It is my opinion that their punishment will focus more on their trespassing in the chapel after curfew than it will on the Tournament. Sadly, this may lead to severe penalties, including the possibility of their expulsion from Astraea Girls."

There followed a short period of silence before Kaname exploded.

"SO? So what are we going to do about it? Don't you act like you've got nothin' to do with it, Shion! Amane-sama was the shining star of your Spica White, and yet we allowed her to fall right into Makoto-sama's trap! And that Hikari girl, now she's involved in it, too!"

Shion remained unfazed.

"Kaname-san, no one here was saying that it was a trap. Granted, Kusanagi Makoto has been acting in quite the eccentric manner ever since her arrival, but I highly doubt that Amane Ohtori would be silly enough to fall for anyone's trick. It is my belief that her actions that night were entirely of her own free will. So, like it or not, the couple Ohtori Amane and Konohana Hikari are hereby-

Ding-Dong!

"Hello? Is there anybody here? I do hate to interrupt, but I think I have an idea here that the Student Council should know about."

Chikaru Minamoto stood in the open double doorway, a small wicker basket full of fresh blueberry scones clutched in her hands.

Minutes later, several faces gaped at Chikaru, who sat eating her scone in the manner of a cute little animal. She smiled with the scone halfway to her open mouth.

"So, shall I take that as a yes then, ladies? Need I remind you of the benefits to Spica White? After this little fiasco, even if you could get Amane-sama and her partner back in the Tournament, it would only lead to further consternation and lessen her chances of winning the crown. But, if she were to withdraw from the competition, you may still have next year."

"But Amane-sama will be a sixth-year student then."

"Yes, but keep in mind that Hanazono Shizuma-sama is also a sixth-year student. Speaking of whom, she's still the biggest threat to Spica White's victory. Just imagine the shame that would come from two consecutive Miator Green victories, especially when Spica White really could have done something wonderful. Or, if you'd rather leave it to me…"

Momomi piped up. "But, Chikaru-sama, you've never even hinted that-"

"How could I, what with that whole hullabaloo about Miator Green and Spica White? I can't just say _I want to win the Etoile Tournament_ without sounding conceited. That's like bringing out your signature monster on the first turn of a Duel with a noob."

Chikaru started squirming in place like a bashful maid. Shion's temper became aroused, though she tried to hide it.

"Chikaru-sama…Are you making fun of us right now? Because if you are…"

Chikaru apologized with a smile. "Oh, sorry. That's just a bad habit."

Everyone else present shuddered inwardly. Sure, Chikaru was the Student Body President of Lulim Pink, but she was also the bizarre eccentric who ran the infamous Cosplay Society. Shion struggled to continue.

"B-But…even Lulim Pink were able to enter the Tournament, do you even have a viable candidate?"

"Oh, indeed I do." Chikaru pulled out a small folded picture and opened it for all to see. "Now all she needs is a partner."

In the picture was Kagome. She sat framed by Remon and Kizuna, all dressed in Victorian children's clothes with aprons.

"If we were to pair this Lulim Pink first-year, Byakudan Kagome, with the proper Spica White partner…"

Chikaru's eyes strayed over to Kaname, but her heart was set only on entering with Amane.

"…Or with Makoto-sama, we could easily win the support of both schools. Don't go letting her cute looks fool you; she and Makoto-sama may be small, but they're both little Dueling powerhouses. Plus, they're both totally cute!"

Kaname slammed her fists down on the tabletop so hard that they hurt. "Cute? Chikaru-sama, we are in the middle of a crisis here! Maybe if you had some ideas about saving Amane-sama, we would listen to you, but we don't have time for this fooling around with doll-girls and weird alliances!"

The other girl shook it off and even laughed a little. Shion could only glare at them both, sending each girl the same signal to shut up. Chikaru winked.

"You say that now, but what if I gave you all some special information in exchange? Those in charge at Lulim Pink have been secretly trying to create an entirely new department. For years, Lulim Pink has stood in the shadow of Miator Green, and that of Spica White as well. Our school is more relaxed on most fronts, but we still have one area where we can excel. The girls in the picture there are a prime example. With new hopefuls such as these, we hope to proudly serve the public and to put an end to Lulim Pink's years of uncertainty. Ladies, I give you…Lulim Pink Class Z, the Public Entertainment Division!"

Everyone's jaw dropped once again.

"My ideal is to create my own adorable Lulim Pink harem by the time I graduate. I figure that, if one Lulim Pink girl wins the tournament and becomes a Dueling idol, then many more girls will pour in from the outside to do just the same. I see this entry privilege of Makoto-sama's as just the excuse I need to throw our collective hat into the ring. Just think about it: all you have to do is partner Makoto-sama with Kagome-chan, and you'll win a viable representative, Lulim Pink's support and a complete entry couple. So, are we all agreed?"

Elsewhere, Aoi Nagisa was looking frantically for her Shizuma-oneesama. She didn't want to meet her, per se, but even catching a glimpse of her partner as she ran by would have been enough for her. Surely that was within the rules, wasn't it? Besides, she just had to know…about Shizuma-oneesama and Sakuragi Kaori. The few stories she'd heard were so beautiful, yet so sad and tragic. Yet she'd given Nagisa "all her love" in that earlier event. Nagisa needed an answer, if only to quell the raging storm in her heart.

She's not here…

She's not here, either…

Somehow, Nagisa found herself back in the Secret Library, the so-called domain of Astraea Hill's Duel Spirits. Her feet tapped nearly soundlessly on the marble floor. The younger girl didn't even have to look up as somebody embraced her from behind.

"Nagisa…You shouldn't be here. People will see you. Heh heh. Although I am happy that you couldn't stay away from me."

Shizuma moved to kiss Nagisa's forehead, but she dodged out of the way.

"Shizuma-oneesama!"

The action ground to a halt. Now there was nothing left in the room save for Nagisa, Shizuma, and the unspoken question.

"C-Can you tell me about…Sakuragi Kaori?"

The phrase sounded even louder in the echoing hall. Shizuma sighed and moved so that she was now next to Nagisa.

"Well, I suppose that I could never really hide it from you."

She laughed lightly, possibly at herself. It had all seemed so far away.

"She was beautiful, the kind of girl you would love to have as your little sister. But I didn't really think so at first. She was introverted to the point where Hitomi had to introduce her to me. But she was honest. Even before she'd gotten sick, Kaori was never really one to go running around. I…I loved her."

Nagisa's mind was a cold blank slate, but her ears remained pricked for any mention of herself. She would have been happy with anything, even if it was just a lie. But the story tapered off. With Shizuma lost in her memories of Kaori, Nagisa quietly slipped away. The big wooden doors didn't even slam as she made her exit.

It was a decidedly gloomier Nagisa who did not hear Tamao's shouts of excitement later that day. It took physical contact for her to realize that her friend was even there.

"Nagisa-chan! Nagisa-chan! Have you heard? About Prince Amane-sama?"

"Prince Amane-sama?"

Nagisa's mind flashed back to the Turbo Duel. The sight of Amane atop her white Duel Runner, saving Hikari. _Those two must really be in love…God! I hate feeling this way._

"They say they met up in the old chapel after midnight, even though they were right in the middle of the Rare Hunter challenge! They've been disqualified!"

Only once Tamao mentioned the Rare Hunter challenge did Nagisa suddenly remember that she and Shizuma were still in the tournament as well. And yet they'd still seen each other.

To be continued…


	7. Chapter 7

Strawberry Duel 2: Continued

Chapter 7

(Author's Note: I do not own any of the concepts contained herewithin. Strawberry Panic and Yugioh GX, unfortunately, do not belong to me. Otherwise the series would go exactly like this and we'd have way more Dueling chicks.)

Four more days passed without incident. Nagisa had been dragged before Miyuki-oneesama in order to admit her guilt. But the only thing on her mind was protecting Shizuma's reputation, so she willingly placed all the blame upon her own shoulders. Everything was eventually ordered to be kept hush-hush.

But rumors about the other rule-breaking couple continued to swirl. Two days after Nagisa's confession, Hikari and Amane were released, provided that they remain apart until the next round of the tournament began. The ensuing trash talk brought Nagisa's spirits down and only made her feel worse about her own predicament.

How quickly people could turn on their so-called "heroes".

Hikari stayed alone in her room. Her roommate, Yaya, had left for the day's classes. The lonely girl strapped on her Duel Disk and inserted her Deck. She posed before the mirror, trying to cut a brave figure. But still the tears came as she reflected on what she had done to herself, to Amane-sama and to Spica White.

There came a knock at the door. Hikari opened it slowly to reveal her beloved Amane-sama. Before the younger girl could say anything, the prince hastily cut her off.

"Hurry, Hikari-chan. Grab your things. We don't really belong here anymore."

Students from all three schools filed nervously into the grand Koubu Hall. This was the most public traditional Dueling area in all of Astraea Hill. Fashioned after the Duelist Kingdom holographic Dueling fields of old, the stage was set for two players on both sides to face off against each other tag-team style. In the Second round of the Etoile Tournament, nine of the remaining couples would compete until all had had a turn. Going by each team's success rate and overall compatibility, a score would be given by a panel of judges. All the scores would then be averaged out and whoever fell below the average would be disqualified.

However, Nagisa knew none of this, as she was busy with Miyuki Rokujo…handing in a last-minute resignation.

INTERMISSION

The Dueling had been intense. The suspense palpable. But now the games were over and the announcement of the Round Two winners was about to be made. Students clamored eagerly for the chance to be the first to hear.

"Everyone, your attention, please. It is our honor to announce that the winners of the Second Round of the Etoile Tournament are…Kusanagi Makoto of Spica White and her partner, from Lulim Pink, Byakudan Kagome!"

Most of the congregation erupted in applause, but there were still a few with doubts that had to be voiced.

"Hmph!" Kaname Tenjo snorted. "What a joke."

Kiyashiki Momomi sat a few chairs down from her, but she could still hear every word. She tittered and opened her trademark fan with the panda motif.

"Well, somebody's in a bad mood, as usual. Well, like it or not, with both Amane-sama and Shizuma-sama dropping out, something like this was more or less inevitable. I still don't quite get exactly why Shizuma-sama dropped out, but a win for us is a win for us, as far as I'm concerned. Maybe we did the right thing after all by letting Makoto participate."

"Makoto? Don't tell me you two are on a first-name basis already!"

"She's not a bad girl, Kaname. Sure, she seems really loud and rebellious, but there's no evil intention. She says things upfront and honestly. It isn't as if she tricked Amane-sama anyway. Still, any idiot can see that this isn't just a victory for her…

Kaname interrupted. "What do you mean by that?"

"Think about it. Who was the first one to recommend Makoto's entry into the Tournament? Up until now, she's been overseas Dueling at North Academy instead of here. It just doesn't make sense for her to suddenly come back like this, particularly at this particular point in time. There's definitely something going on…"

"Oh no! Amane-sama and Hikari-sama!"

A frantic voice rang out, disrupting the festivities. The applause ground to a stiff halt. Okuwaka Tsubomi came rushing in, although her face body language showed her in too deep a state of shock to realistically do so. Kaname stepped forward to catch the girl as she collapsed, as did Spica White President Tomori Shion, who had stepped down from the judges' table. She grabbed the younger girl by the shoulders and shook her a few times.

"What is it, Tsubomi? What happened to those two? Tell me!"

Tsubomi let snippets of sentences fall from her lips as though she had no control over them.

"I overheard the sisters talking…They said that those two…The both of them…They disappeared from school this very morning!"

The crowd gasped and everyone began talking at once. Some were condemning Amane. Some were condemning themselves. No one knew what this meant, or if it was even true. Tomori Shion hastened to restore order.

"Everyone, please simmer down. We shall sort this out. Please just return to your classes and dorms. The award ceremony is over."

Shizuma, meanwhile, was speedwalking as fast as she could, looking for Nagisa. (I can't accept this. It must be some sort of misunderstanding. It happened so long ago; why would she only come clean about it now? I…I need to hear this from her!)

She had just gotten out of an important meeting with Miator Green President Miyuki Rokujo.

" It seems that your partner, Aoi Nagisa-san, has finally reached her limit. I tried to reason with her, but…once I saw her eyes, I knew there was nothing I could do."

"Reached her limit? What do you mean? What exactly has she done?" Shizuma asked in anger.

"I believe that the pressure of being by your side, Shizuma-san, compounded with the pressures of newly arriving at such an elite school, has finally pushed Nagisa-san to her limit and forced her to withdraw from the Etoile Tournament. Granted, she did say that her main reason was her guilt over seeing you during the Rare Hunter event, but…"

"But?"

"While I was commending her for her honesty, Suzumi-san and I both tried to talk her out of resigning over such a minor infraction. But, given how determined she was, I doubt that the Rare Hunter incident was the only reason for her decision. We tried to remind her about how much her participation meant to Miator Green and to Shizuma-sama, but still she-"

Shizuma bolted out of her chair and slammed her palms down on Miyuki's desktop. She leaned over closely so that Miyuki could feel the steaming, raging breath from her nostrils.

"Well, you saw how effective that was! I should have been the one to talk to her!" She spun around and headed towards the door. "I'll fix this."

"Shizuma-sama!"

An unexpected shout broke through her flashback. She was coming up on the place where she and Nagisa had last spoke: the Secret Garden in the library. Shizuma sped through the hallway, where a large stained glass window at the end blinded her with summer sunlight. When her vision cleared, she could see one of her closest friends.

"Hitomi!"

"You're looking for someone, aren't you?"

"Yes, and I have no time to waste!"

"Even if you were able to find that girl, it wouldn't change anything." Hitomi's confrontational tone took Shizuma by surprise. She turned her head to the side, but still spoke in that bold voice.

"Shizuma-sama…How did you really feel…about Kaori?"

"I-I don't have to explain myself to you!" Shizuma spun around and stomped away. But a strange sound from behind her called her back. Hitomi had sunk to the ground and had begun to cry.

"Kaori…really loved you, Shizuma-sama. I knew that…even when I brought her to you. I thought that, if she were happy with you, then that would be enough…but…" She choked out her words between sobs.

(Hitomi…Do you mean to tell me that you had feelings for her too?)

Shizuma thought back to their darkest day. Sakuragi Kaori had finally passed on to the other side. But, even as they all gathered for the funeral, Hitomi had remained outside alone, silently crying her own personal tears.

(I'm sorry, Hitomi. If I had known how you felt about her, then I wouldn't have gotten so close…to Kaori.)

To be continued…


	8. Chapter 8

Strawberry Duel 2: Continued

Chapter 8

(Author's Note: I do not own any of the concepts contained herewithin. Strawberry Panic and Yugioh GX, unfortunately, do not belong to me. Otherwise the series would go exactly like this and we'd have way more Dueling chicks.)

Nagisa Aoi was trying hard to pack everything she could. The process had gotten much easier when she decided just to wear her Duel Disk instead of trying to pack it. She had only been at Astraea Hill for three months, but every day had felt like an adventure. But she had broken the rules and fair was fair. With no place left in the Etoile tournament, she had to leave.

She would miss rooming with Tamao-chan, and the flattering way that Tsukidate Chiyo looked up to her. And Shizuma-oneesama…she would probably miss her most of all.

It seemed as though, everywhere she looked, Nagisa saw girls that were so much more mature than her. Upper-class life had made their families cautious. Here, the girls were expected to get good grades and Duel well, all surrounded by a safe atmosphere. It came as no surprise to Nagisa that some of her classmates were already set for prearranged political marriages and the like. But what did come as a surprise was that some of the girls, in order to have a little fun before falling into their destined roles, performed dalliances and actually grew to have feelings for some other girls.

Nagisa had never felt much of anything for anyone before. Back in regular school, she'd always laughed it aside or else said nothing when other girls went on and on about who their crushes were. Her happinesses had always come from simple things, like Dueling or flowers or cake. But now, since she'd come to Miator Green, she had shared her first kiss with another girl, before she could even have a chance at love with a boy.

I never realized…just how much I would miss Shizuma-oneesama.

It was then that Suzumi Tamao burst in and grabbed Nagisa tightly, causing the other girl to drop the pair of white panties that she was about to pack.

Elsewhere, not far from Astraea Hill, two other girls walked through sunlit woods. Konohana Hikari bent down to pick a small flower from a patch that they passed by.

"Oh, look: the gymnaster flowers are blooming. They may be awfully small, and kind of plain, but they've always been one of my favorites. I guess they've finally come into season for this year."

She and Ohtori Amane, the former Prince of Astraea Hill's Spica White school, had run off together after being caught breaking the rules during the Etoile tournament. Like Nagisa and Shizuma, the two of them were expressly forbidden from seeing each other, yet they did so anyway. In point of fact, the two had been caught by the new Prince of Spica White, transfer student Kusanagi Makoto.

The younger girl wondered to herself about the many rumors she'd heard before leaving Astraea. _Maybe Amane-sama left the school with me because of all the pressure after all._ Over the course of the Etoile tournament, Hikari had gradually become more and more aware of Spica White's expectations of Amane. Up until recently, she had been their handsome Prince, and Hikari could easily see why.

Suddenly, the woodland path opened up into a white sand beach. Off in the distance, there stood a quaint seaside villa owned by the Ohtori family.

Amane had been feeling strange ever since she'd first met Hikari. Normally she would never have broken the rules the way she did. It wasn't that she hated the Etoile tournament per se, but she'd always accepted it as one of the conditions of attending Spica White. There weren't that many such Duel academies out there, and Amane was proud to attend. But Hikari had soon become like the sun to her; a source of great warmth and light that Amane could not do without. If only she'd been able to control herself, they wouldn't have met up in the chapel that night and gotten thrown out of the competition.

"The ocean! The ocean! The ocean!"

Hikari's happy cries brought Amane back to her brilliant, yet sad world.

_Running away from Astraea may have been the only thing we could have done._

Even though the two girls had not actually gone in the ocean, they still felt dirty after feeling the salty rimed sea breezes and sitting together on the sandy beach. Amane's western-style house contained a large, multi-person shower room for just such occasions. Still awkward around each other, they both washed up in separate stalls, far apart from each other.

Amane knocked on Hikari's shower door once she heard the water stop running. Blushing, Hikari peeped out to see her oneesama holding a towel and bathrobe just for her. _She's so kind. I've always been…just so happy when I'm with her. As long as I had Amane-sama, I felt like I could hold on. I…I love her so much._

Her eyes watered with emotion. Amane approached her with worry.

"Hikari? You're crying. Are you all right? Come on, you can tell me. I-I'll protect you."

The younger girl backed away nervously, but Amane followed. On impulse, she leaned in close to Hikari and gently pressed their lips together. The emotions that followed were so strong and so stunning that neither girl could move. Every second felt like a blissful eternity.

But, eventually, someone's arms had to get tired and they parted. Some time had passed since then, and now the two sat, still clad in robes, wordlessly enjoying cups of tea by the beach house fireplace. Amane continued gazing at Hikari over the rim of her cup.

_Why did I do that? I've never felt anything for another girl before; not once in my entire time at Spica White. But ever since I met Hikari…She's just so beautiful and strong and self-sacrificing. I remember how scared I was that she would fall, back during the Turbo Duel. Even though she probably hated it, Hikari still stayed by me all that time, right until the very end. Someone that strong needs someone equally strong to stand by her and to protect her._

_I know now what I have to do._

She stood up decisively.

"Hikari?" Her voice echoed loudly in the emptiness of the beach house. The blonde looked up from her cup of tea, startled by the prince's sudden speech. "Y-yes?"

"Why don't we Duel?"

Soon, both girls stood apart from each other. Both drew five cards. Amane decisively drew her sixth.

"I'll start us off. I summon Dragnity Dux. And, as soon as I summon him, I can automatically Equip him with any Dragnity monster from my hand. So now I Equip my Dragnity Dux with Dragnity Corsesca."

There. Now, whenever Dragnity Dux destroys a monster in battle, I can add another Wind Attribute Winged Beast monster directly from my Deck to my hand.

"Your move, Hikari!" Amane gestured forcefully at the little blonde, causing her to be taken aback.

Hikari recognized both monsters from back in their Turbo Duel. But it felt strange to be fighting against them for a change. Still unnerved by Amane's strange behavior, she timidly drew her next card.

"O-okay. I-I'll start off by playing a Spell Card: Fountain in the Sky! Next up, I'm summoning the monster Gellenduo."

Two cute fairies that more resembled plush dolls or jellybeans appeared on Hikari's field.

"And then I'll play a face down and end my turn."

What is Hikari thinking? Her monster's attack points are exactly the same as Dragnity Dux's attack points. All I'd need to do is increase Dux's power again and I could easily take out her Gellenduo. What's she up to?

"It's my move, then! I draw! And I think I'll also use a Spell Card. Dragon Mastery increases the Attack Points of all my Dragnity monsters who happen to be equipped with other Dragnity monsters. So now my Dragnity Dux is stronger than your Gellenduo. So attack, Dragnity Dux, with Flying Talon!"

"Not so fast! I reveal my Trap: Zero Gravity forces every monster on the field to switch Battle Modes. So now both Gellenduo and Dragnity Dux switch to Defense Mode. Now it's my turn! I release Gellenduo, using it as two sacrifices, in order to Advance Summon Majestic Mech Goryu!"

Hikari's golden beast roared triumphantly, somehow not cramped at all inside the small seaside cottage.

"Attack!"

Amane took little consolation in the fact that her Life Points remained untouched. All she had to worry about was somehow getting rid of Hikari's beast.

"Not bad, Hikari-chan! You're really learning, aren't you?"

Hikari blushed at the compliment.

"But that doesn't mean you still don't have a ways to go! I draw! I summon Dragnity Legionnaire. And, once per turn, he can Equip himself with any Dragon Type Dragnity monster in my Graveyard. So say hello once again to Dragnity Corsesca. But he won't be sticking around, because I now activate Dragnity Legionnaire's other special ability. By releasing one Dragnity monster that's being treated as an Equip card, I can choose one monster on your side of the field and destroy it. Now, with nothing left protecting you, Dragnity Legionnaire is free to swoop in! Direct attack!"

(Amane: 4000 Hikari: 2800)

"N-Not bad, Amane-sama. But I'm still not going to lose. I play Fountain in the Sky's ability. Since you just destroyed my Light attribute monster in battle, I can remove it from play in order to gain Life Points equal to its Attack Points."

(Amane: 4000 Hikari: 4500)

"Now it's my turn! I call forth Nova Summoner!"

Hikari's new monster was an odd circular shape that gave off light. But it was not very strong.

"And since Dragnity Legionnaire is no longer Equipped with a monster, it loses its power bonus from Dragon Mastery, leaving it just weak enough for my Nova Summoner to take out. Now attack!"

(Amane: 3800 Hikari: 4500)

Amane couldn't help but continue wondering about Hikari's strategy. Clearly, she did not intend for Nova Summoner to remain on the field. It was nowhere near her strongest monster; that much Amane knew. But she decided not to focus too hard on it.

"Well, if I can't destroy your monsters, then I guess I'll just have to destroy you! I summon Dragnity Pilum. Whenever Dragnity Pilum is summoned, I can bring out another Winged Beast Type Dragnity monster and equip him to it. So now, Dragnity Pilum Equips to my Dragnity Primus Pilus!"

The strong humanoid in birdlike armor immediately gained a power boost from Dragon Mastery, its Attack power rising to 2600.

"And, if I use Dragnity Pilum's special ability, my Dragnity Primus Pilus can attack you directly, but the only downside is that all the damage you take is cut in half."

(Amane: 3800 Hikari: 3200)

Oddly enough, Hikari was smiling as she picked herself up from the attack.

"Wow! You knew I wanted you to destroy my Nova Summoner, so you found a way both to get around it and to bring out a strong monster by using Dragnity Pilum. No wonder you're the former Pro League champion, Amane-sama. And I've always admired that about you. But I know we still have to get stronger. I have to get stronger to be with you…"

"And I have to get stronger in order to protect you."

"So, no matter who wins this Duel, we'll both move forward together."

Amane laughed a little.

"Whoever wins this Duel? I hate to say it, Hikari-chan, but you're looking a little too worse for wear to start saying things like that."

"Heh heh heh. We shall see. It's my move! I summon Fairy Archer in Attack Mode. Now I can dish out 400 points of damage to Amane-sama for every Light Attribute monster I control. I have two, so that means you take 800 points."

(Amane: 3000 Hikari: 3200)

Now Amane was really in a conundrum. If she left Hikari's two monsters alone, then she'd either wind up taking 800 points of damage again. Or worse, she could wind up facing a Tribute Summoned monster. The only thing left she could do was to go for broke.

"That is a good card, Hikari-chan, but you can't always count on the same cards to always win you Duels. Truly great Duelists learn to adapt and evolve their Decks. It's my turn! I draw! First of all, by activating the second effect of Dragon Mastery, I can Equip Dragnity Primus Pilus with another Dragnity monster from my hand. Now, with the power of Dragnity Brandistock, my monster can attack you twice per turn. Now attack Fairy Archer! And then, go and attack her Nova Summoner!"

(Amane: 3000 Hikari: 800)

Hikari smiled. "Since you just destroyed my Nova Summoner, I get to Summon one Light Attribute Fairy Type monster with less than 1500 Attack Points. So meet Winged Kuriboh."

By now, Amane was completely flummoxed. Surely such a tiny monster would not be able to help Hikari win the Duel…could it?

"And now I play my Translucent Wings Spell Card. Now, by sending two cards in my hand and Winged Kuriboh to the Graveyard, it can evolve! Come forth, Winged Kuriboh Level 10!"

At first, Amane was in awe of the puny monster's transformation. But, once she got past the beauteous wings and badass dragon armor, its Attack and Defense Points still remained the same.

"And then I think I'll end my turn by activating my Tremendous Fire Spell. Now we both take Life Point damage, only I take 500 and you take 1000!"

(Amane: 2000 Hikari: 300)

"Nicely played. I never would have expected that kind of tactic from someone like you. No one would ever guess that you'd ever hurt yourself for the sake of damaging your opponent."

Her eyes shone as she spoke her next words. They locked with Hikari's from across the flame-strewn room.

"You really are strong, Hikari-chan."

"You are, too, Amane-sama."

If Hikari was willing to go to so much trouble just to summon Winged Kuriboh Level 10, then Amane knew it just had to have a special ability. A smart person would test the waters.

"My move! First, I'll switch Dragnity Primus Pilus from Attack to Defense Mode. Then I summon Dragnity Javelin. Now, even if this monster is destroyed, I get to Equip it to Dragnity Primus Pilus instead of sending it to the Graveyard. Now attack Winged Kuriboh Level 10!"

But Winged Kuriboh only began to grow brighter and brighter until Amane found herself drowning in a sea of almost burning light. When her vision cleared, all her monsters and Life Points were gone.

"What just happened?"

Hikari smiled mischievously. "Winged Kuriboh Level 10's effect activates as soon as you attack. It lets me wipe out all your monsters and deal damage equal to their combined Attack Points. Hee hee. It's the ultimate Trojan Horse."

Amane's face faltered.

"I'm not really sure if Trojan Horse is the phrase you were looking for there. But, anyway…I think we're ready now. Hikari-chan…let's go back."

"Don't do it, Oneesama!" Tamao sobbed in Nagisa's arms. The redhead tried to shake her off.

"B-But…I have to."

Tamao placed all her teasing aside at that point. Her voice became adamant.

"Shizuma-sama won't care if you drop out of the tournament. And you can't undo it now that you've done it. That woman is someone who accepts everyone. Even if you were to leave, she would just pull some other helpless girl in from somewhere else in Miator Green. You should just forget about her…and come with me instead."

Nagisa was puzzled. As far as she knew, Tamao had never expressed any desire to become an Etoile.

"Come on, we can enter next year. Besides," she said, her voice taking on a mock severity, "you owe me for all those dancing and Dueling lessons we went through."

_Even if I can't be here with Shizuma-oneesama…Tamao-chan and the others at Miator Green want me to stay. Just look at her, trying so hard to cheer me up._

_I guess…I will stay here…I'll stay until I have the courage to leave again._

To be continued…

*Sorry about that Trojan Horse bit at the end. I wrote that while I was watching a Seth MacFarlane TV show.


End file.
